Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader blasts vaccine fearmongering, smear campaign against Sinovac jab; city logs 18 new cases
- Carrie Lam singles out some medical workers to accuse them of spreading falsehoods about the Chinese-made vaccine
- Chief executive says city authorities are looking at bolstering Hong Kong’s Covid-19 fight by procuring a fourth type of vaccine
The city logged 18 new cases, five of which were tied to a cluster at the Ursus Fitness gym in the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood popular with expatriates, taking the total to 147, while 11 infections were imported from the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan. More than 10 people tested preliminary-positive, including three linked to the gym. The city’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at 11,397 with 203 deaths.
Speaking after she and other officials received a second Sinovac shot, Lam criticised people who were making unfavourable remarks about the vaccine.
“I would condemn people who are using social media or other means to spread false information, engage in alarmist behaviour and even smear the domestically made vaccines,” Lam said. “It is even more heartbreaking when some among them are medical professionals,” she added, without specifying who exactly she was referring to.
Last week, health officials accused the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance of spreading misinformation about the Sinovac vaccine. The alliance insisted it was only trying to warn older residents about the dangers of receiving the vaccine, which the group said lacked sufficient clinical trial data.
Lam said authorities were looking at bringing another type of vaccine to Hong Kong.